Diaphragm violin



J. KALAF, JR

DIAPHRAGH VIOLIN Filed May Il, 1922 2 Sheets-Shea?, 1

May 22, w23.A

May 22, 1923.

.1. KALAF, J'R

DIAPHRAGM VIOLIN Filed May l1,

192'2 2 sheets-shut 2 JIaZgfJ-Zzgmudo@ Patented May 22, 1923.

UNITED. ST'F JOHN KALAF, JR., @F META, MISSOURI.

DEERE/AGH VZLIN.

Application led May 11,

lTo all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KALAF, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at 4Meta, in the county of Osage and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Diaphragm Violin, of which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide an instrument of the violin type which may be made without high grade cabinet work, the instrument being so constructed that it will possess a loud tone, and be peculiarly ada-pted for the playing of dance music.

lt is within the province ot the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear-as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment ot the invention shown can be made without departing trom the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in top plan, a musical instrument constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation; Figure 3 is a bottom plan wherein parts are broken away; Figure 4 is a cross section on the line -fl of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a sectional view illustrating the mounting ci the carrier; Figure 6 is` a sectional view illustrating a means for anchoring one oi the bridges.

The instrument forming the subject 4matter of this application includes a body B comprising a belly 1 and an approximately triangular back 2 having a reduced eXtension 3 provided with a curved end Li. The back 2 is connected to the belly 1 by diverging sides 5 which are prolonged as at 6, and curved as at'7, so as to connect the parts 3 and 4 of the back 2 with the belly 1 to form a sound passage. A tubular member or sound horn 9 is secured to the under surface of the belly 1 and to the sound passage the space between the back 2, the belly 1 and the members 6. At its inner end, the member 9 is closed vas indicated at 10, the said member 9 communicating with` an opening 11 formed in the belly 1 intermediate the ends thereof. The numeral 12 marks a neck,

1922. Serial No. 560,201.

having an enlargement 12n secured between the belly 1 and the back 2. 'As thus tar described, the instrument is in the form of a violin, comprising a body B and a neck 12 assembled with one end of the body, the body being provided intermediate its ends with an opening 11, a sound conduit extending longitudinally of the body, the conduit being flared to form Yan outlet 15 the liront 'walls ot' said conduit terminating at 7G and disposed adjacent to the neck, the conduit being curved, as clearly shown in Figure 3, adjacent to that end of the body which is remote from the neck 12, to communicate with the opening 11.

A tail piece 16 is attached at 17 to the belly l. rliuning pegs 18 are mounted in the neck l2. Strings 19 extend between the pegs 18 and the tail piece 16.

ft sound amplifier casing 20 is mounted on the belly 1 and comprises a cup-shaped base 21 having an opening 22 registering with the opening 11 in the belly. rc-

tainer 23, in the form oit ay ring, is attached 1.

by securing elements 24 to the upper edge ot the base 21. nnular cushions 25 are located within the base 2l, the uppermost cushion being held in place by the retainer 23.v A resonant diaphranfm 26 is engaged at its periphery between the cushions and is located in the base 2l. the cushions preventing the diaphragm from being crushed or broken when the securing elements 2li are tightened down on the retainer 23.

A support or block 27 is secured to the 1 and is provided with spaced if -shaped projections 28. A carrier 29, in the form citi of bar is mounted to tilt on the projections 28 and is provided with openings 30 through which. securing elements 31, such as screws, pass. rll`he openings 30 are large enough so that the carrier 29 may tilt with respect to the securing elements, the securing elements, nevertheless, holding the carrier on the V- shaped projections 28. The carrier 29 is supplied intermediate its ends with upstanding flanges 32 between which is located a lever 33` the lever being secured to the carrier by glue or in any other desired way, as indicated at 34 in Figure 4. The numeral 35 marks a connection, which may be a thin piece of metal, one end of the connection being united as shown at 36 by glue or otherwise, with one end of the lever 33, and the lower end of the connection being united by means of glue or the like, indicated at 37 with the diaphragm 26. The numeral 50 denotes an auxiliary bridge, across which the strings 19 pass. The bridge 50 has spaced depending` feet 38 resting on the lever 33. may be alluded to generally as an oscillatory bridge. The strings 19 pass across a main bridge 39 located to the rear of the auxiliary bridge 50, the main bridge having a long depending foot 40 which engages the belly 1 and being provided with a short depending foot 41 which rests on the retaincr 23 of the casing 20.

The main bridge 39 serves to take most of the strain created by the strings 19. The strings 19, however, rest on the auxiliary bridge and from the bridge 50 the vibrations ot' the stringsl are transmitted to the lever 33 and thence by way of the connection 35 to the diaphragm 26, sound traversing the conduit above alluded to, and emerging through the flared outlet 15 of the conduit.v

Noting Figure 3 of the drawings. it will be observed that the 4conduit is housed completely beneath the belly 1, and, consequently, there are no laterally projecting horns or other sound amplifiers whichI are extended beyond the body. The instrument, therefore, is compact in form.

In Figure 6, the tail piece is denoted by the numeral 16 and has the usual openings 5l. The main bridge is marked by the numeral 39. The numeral 53 designates an anchor or support for the main bridge, the anchor 53 having an arm 54 extended downwardly along the bridge 39 and terminating in a nger 55 extended beneath the upper portion of the bridge. The anchor 53 has an arm 56 extended downwardly through the opening 51 in the tail piece 16 and terminating in a finger 57 extended forwardly The parts 50, 33 and beneath the tail piece. The anchor or connection 53 serves to steady the main bridge.

VVha-t is claimed is:

1. A stringed instrument comprising a belly provided intermediate its ends with an opening; a neck located at one end of the belly; a sound'conduit located completely beneath the belly and having a flared outlet disposed adjacent, to the neck, the conduit being curved adjacent to the other end of the belly and being extended forwardly into communication with the opening; a casing on the belly and surrounding the opening; a diaphragm in the casing; a lever supported for tilting movement with respect to the belly; means for connecting the lever with the diaphragm; a bridge on the lever; and a string extended along the neck and across the bridge.

2. A stringed instrument comprising a belly provided intermediate its ends with an opening; a sound conduit communicating with the opening; a casing on the belly, about the opening; a diaphragm in the casing; spaced projections supported by the belly; a carrier mounted to tilt on the projections and having an opening; a securing element passing loosely through the opening; means for anchoring the securing ele' ment with respect to the belly; a lever mounted on the carrier; means for connect-y ing the lever with the diaphragm; a bridge on the lever; and a string extended across the bridge.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aixed my signa'- ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN KALAF, JR.

Witnesses GEORGE KALAF, WM. GREGORY. 

